Is this lossless?

[Jimmy Bro]

Okay so I got a receiver and home theatre speakers connected to my PC via HDMI, but my graphics card doesn't support DTS-HD or Dolby TrueHD

Yet in my device properties it says it supports 24 bit and 192.0 kHz (Studio Quality). Isn't that the same quality as DTS-HD or Dolby TrueHD?

[prerich]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Bro

Okay so I got a receiver and home theatre speakers connected to my PC via HDMI, but my graphics card doesn't support DTS-HD or Dolby TrueHD

Yet in my device properties it says it supports 24 bit and 192.0 kHz (Studio Quality). Isn't that the same quality as DTS-HD or Dolby TrueHD?

What's your graphics card? It may output DTS HD and TrueHD as lossless LPCM

[BozQ]

Not really sure what you're asking here.

Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA are lossless compression formats for audio. It's like using WinZIP or WinRAR to compress your data files on computer. When uncompressed, they sound identical to the original master. Similarly, when you unzip your files, they are still the same.

Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA are capable of compressing 6 channels of audio (5.1) in 24-bit/192KHz or 8 channels (7.1) in 24-bit/96KHz.

For figures like 16-bit or 24-bit, they are called Bit-Depth and 192KHz or 96KHz, they are called sampling rate. These numbers make up the audio resolution of the soundtrack and are not relative to the compression methods used.

For example, a 24-bit/96KHz soundtrack can be compressed with lossy formats, like DTS-HD HR or Dolby Digital Plus.

Perhaps what you're seeing in your computer device is that your sound card is capable of outputting 24-bit/192KHz resolution. It has no relevance to the audio being lossless or not.

[Jimmy Bro]

Originally Posted by prerich

What's your graphics card? It may output DTS HD and TrueHD as lossless LPCM

Nvidia GTX 570. I already checked, it doesn't output those :P

[prerich]

Moving this thread to the PC thread

[prerich]

Wow just realized your model is one of the few fermis that can't bitstream!!! What player are you using in your PC?

[Jimmy Bro]

Originally Posted by prerich

Wow just realized your model is one of the few fermis that can't bitstream!!! What player are you using in your PC?

I'm using PowerDVD 11 Ultra

And yeah, most of my PC is Blu-ray ready, except for the sound

I was actually considering getting a different card (550 Ti I think, as that supported DTS-HD/TrueHD etc) when choosing the parts for my computer last year but apparently the 550 Ti was not good enough for what I wanted (gaming, Nvidia 3d kit etc), so I went with the more powerful 570 at the expense of the sound.

I don't understand why a better card would exclude something the other cards have. Ah well

[srinivas1015]

YOu don't need to bitstream for lossless. If you use PowerDVD, go to the audio settings and select 'decode to PCM'.
TotalmediaTheatre has the same option. That will give you lossless audio.

I used to have a GTX465 which also can't bitstream and that is what I used to do for lossless audio.


If you bitstream, the graphics card sends the non-decoded audio(which your card can't do) to your receiver which decodes it.
If you mix to PCM, the software decodes the audio and sends it to the receiver.

The only thing you're changing is the place where it's decoded. It's lossless and is exactly the same quality.

Think of DTS-HD MA and True HD as zip and rar files. It doesn't matter where you unpack them . PCM is the 'raw' file inside. PowerDVD/TotalMedia Theatre will be unzipping and sending the raw file instead of letting the receiver do the unzipping. You are lossless audio ready.

[prerich]

Originally Posted by srinivas1015

YOu don't need to bitstream for lossless. If you use PowerDVD, go to the audio settings and select 'decode to PCM'.
TotalmediaTheatre has the same option. That will give you lossless audio.

I used to have a GTX465 which also can't bitstream and that is what I used to do for lossless audio.


If you bitstream, the graphics card sends the non-decoded audio(which your card can't do) to your receiver which decodes it.
If you mix to PCM, the software decodes the audio and sends it to the receiver.

The only thing you're changing is the place where it's decoded. It's lossless and is exactly the same quality.

Think of DTS-HD MA and True HD as zip and rar files. It doesn't matter where you unpack them . PCM is the 'raw' file inside. PowerDVD/TotalMedia Theatre will be unzipping and sending the raw file instead of letting the receiver do the unzipping. You are lossless audio ready.

Thank you for beating me to the answer! That's why wanted to know which player the op was using, but you provided him with a good detailed answer kudos and bravo Zulu!!!

[Jimmy Bro]

Originally Posted by srinivas1015

YOu don't need to bitstream for lossless. If you use PowerDVD, go to the audio settings and select 'decode to PCM'.
TotalmediaTheatre has the same option. That will give you lossless audio.

I used to have a GTX465 which also can't bitstream and that is what I used to do for lossless audio.


If you bitstream, the graphics card sends the non-decoded audio(which your card can't do) to your receiver which decodes it.
If you mix to PCM, the software decodes the audio and sends it to the receiver.

The only thing you're changing is the place where it's decoded. It's lossless and is exactly the same quality.

Think of DTS-HD MA and True HD as zip and rar files. It doesn't matter where you unpack them . PCM is the 'raw' file inside. PowerDVD/TotalMedia Theatre will be unzipping and sending the raw file instead of letting the receiver do the unzipping. You are lossless audio ready.

Very nice, well explained answer. It makes sense Thanks

So I don't need to change anything on the receiver as well? Just PowerDVD correct?
Is this the right setting?

It was already on that lol

The only thing that may annoy me now is the fact that the receiver won't light up with DTS-HD MA and True HD :P

[Jimmy Bro]

Also, which one of these should I be using?

[srinivas1015]

You're welcome

As long as your receiver is configured, you won't have to change anything. It should say 'Multichannel'. Do you have a 5.1 or a 7.1 setup?
I used to have it set to 24-bit, 48000 Hz as this is the rate at which 90% of the current blu-rays are recorded. There are a few like 'Akira' which are recorded at a higher frequency.

The lights are the only thing you'll be missing

[srinivas1015]

I don't understand why Nvidia doesn't include the bitstream feature for all Nvidia cards, especially the higher-end ones. I actually had to downgrade from a GTX 465 to a GTX 460 just for bitstreaming .

[Jimmy Bro]

Originally Posted by srinivas1015

You're welcome

As long as your receiver is configured, you won't have to change anything. It should say 'Multichannel'. Do you have a 5.1 or a 7.1 setup?
I used to have it set to 24-bit, 48000 Hz as this is the rate at which 90% of the current blu-rays are recorded. There are a few like 'Akira' which are recorded at a higher frequency.

The lights are the only thing you'll be missing

It's a 5.1 setup. How do I know if it's configured or not though?

Should I change mine to 24-bit, 48000 Hz. Why isn't there an auto option?

[srinivas1015]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Bro

It's a 5.1 setup. How do I know if it's configured or not though?

Should I change mine to 24-bit, 48000 Hz. Why isn't there an auto option?

Which receiver do you have? I mean configuring the basic settings such as setting up the speaker volume levels, running Audussey auto-calibration(which consists of connecting the microphone to your receiver and following the on screen instructions. Note that you'll have to connect the HDMI out on your receiver to your display to do all this.)

Have you used your receiver before or is it new? If it's the former, you should already be set.

Set it to 24-bit 48000hz.

[Jimmy Bro]

Originally Posted by srinivas1015

Which receiver do you have? I mean configuring the basic settings such as setting up the speaker volume levels, running Audussey auto-calibration(which consists of connecting the microphone to your receiver and following the on screen instructions. Note that you'll have to connect the HDMI out on your receiver to your display to do all this.)

Have you used your receiver before or is it new? If it's the former, you should already be set.

Set it to 24-bit 48000hz.

Yamaha‑HTR‑3065

Nope I haven't done that configuring, but I don't notice much activity in the rear speakers much, so maybe it needs to be. Is the microphone the YPAO thing?

I set it to 24-bit 48000hz on my PC. Should I always leave it on that now? What if I watch a Blu-ray I know to be a different frequency?

And yep the receiver is newish

[srinivas1015]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Bro

Yamaha‑HTR‑3065

Nope I haven't done that configuring, but I don't notice much activity in the rear speakers much, so maybe it needs to be. Is the microphone the YPAO thing?

I set it to 24-bit 48000hz on my PC. Should I always leave it on that now? What if I watch a Blu-ray I know to be a different frequency?

And yep the receiver is newish

Leave it at that rate. As far as other rates, there are almost no blu-rays encoded at anything higher than 48,000 hz.

Check your receiver box. A mic is provided.




You see that instrument with the 3.5mm jack in the left corner? That's what it looks like.

1)Connect the HDMI out from your Yamaha receiver to your display.
2)PLug in the mic and place it wherever you'll be sitting.
3)The auto-calibration setup should start automatically and follow on screen instructions such as clicking 'next', etc. You'll be hearing various weird sounds from your speakers but don't be alarmed, it's completely normal. Your receiver will gauge the distances of the speakers from your seating position and adjust the volumes of each speaker accordingly. Then you will get lots of surround channel activity as well.

It's fairly automated but feel free to ask if you have any more queries .


EDIT:
I saw the first few blu-rays in your collection and I suggest you use the hijack sequence on Air Force One for testing your surrounds. There is a LOT of surround activity in that scene.

[Jimmy Bro]

Originally Posted by srinivas1015

Leave it at that rate. As far as other rates, there are almost no blu-rays encoded at anything higher than 48,000 hz.

Check your receiver box. A mic is provided.




You see that instrument with the 3.5mm jack in the left corner? That's what it looks like.

1)Connect the HDMI out from your Yamaha receiver to your display.
2)PLug in the mic and place it wherever you'll be sitting.
3)The auto-calibration setup should start automatically and follow on screen instructions such as clicking 'next', etc. You'll be hearing various weird sounds from your speakers but don't be alarmed, it's completely normal. Your receiver will gauge the distances of the speakers from your seating position and adjust the volumes of each speaker accordingly. Then you will get lots of surround channel activity as well.

It's fairly automated but feel free to ask if you have any more queries .


EDIT:
I saw the first few blu-rays in your collection and I suggest you use the hijack sequence on Air Force One for testing your surrounds. There is a LOT of surround activity in that scene.

Do I place the mic in the air (where my ears would be)? or just on the seat?

Thanks again for the help :P

I'll check out that scene from Air Force One

[srinivas1015]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Bro

Do I place the mic in the air (where my ears would be)? or just on the seat?

Thanks again for the help :P

I'll check out that scene from Air Force One

It says at ear level but I placed mine on the seat/arm rest and I got excellent results

[Jimmy Bro]

Powerdvd doesn't seem to work with the LPCM.

It says Output: LPCM 48KHz/16bits 6 channels for movies that should be 24 bits.

Is there another setting that needs to be changed?